Safety valve



T. LEAHY SAFETY VALVE Filed Aug. 12, 1924 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES THOMAS LEAHY, 0F NORTH KINGSVILLE, OHIO.

SAFETY VALVE.

Application filed August 12, 1924. Serial No. 731,576.

To all w ho-m it may concern Be it known that I, THoMAs LEAI-IY, a citizen of the United States, residing a North Kingsville, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in a Safety Valve, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved safety valve for use in conjunction with a train pipe or air supply line such as is used for conveying air from one car to another.

It is my object to provide a safety valve which can be tapped into the train pipe, the valve being normally closed, but being auto matically opened in the event that the car is derailed or as caused from any other accident.

More specifically speaking, I propose to equip each car with a plurality of these safety valves, there being a valve disposed over each wheel and each valve being connected through the medium of a flexible and slidable connection with the trusses of the trucks, whereby to permit a predetermined limited relative movement between the truss and the body of the car, but serving to ex ert a pull upon the connections for opening the valves in the event that the relative movement is abnormal.

The invention embodies several features of construction and these will become apparent from the following description and drawing.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of a railway car equipped with safety valves constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of one of the valves.

Figure 3 is a similar view with a part of the valve detached.

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view of the rotary cap or part of the valve.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the collar of the valve.

Although I intend to use a multiplicity of these devices on each car, my description will appear in the singular, it being understood that each device is a duplicate of the other. In the drawing, the reference character B designates the body of the car, while the letter T designates generally one of the Wheel supported trucks. The train pipe or line is designated by I In carrying out the invention, I interposc a conventional coupling 1 in the train pipe and into the depending branch of this coupling, I lit a short section of pipe 2. To this pipe, the improved safety valve is connected. While the valve could be constructed otherwise, it preferably comprises a collar 3 which is threaded on the pipe 2. The collar in addition to including the flange 4 also includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced cam lugs 5. Cooperative with this collar and rotatable with respect thereto is a cap 6, this cap being equipped with a let erally extending lever 7 having an aperture in its free end. Projecting from the in ner side of the cap are circumferentially spaced fingers 8 which are notched at 9 between their ends for cooperation with the beveled ends of the cam lugs. A spring 1\) is interposed between. the flange i and the cap, being connected at its ends with these parts respectively. It is a tendency of the spring to force the parts of the valve together so that a fluid tight connection will be afforded between the telescopically engaged portion thereof. To render this connection more effective, the cap may be equipped with a gasket 11. Normally, the valve is closed as seen in Figure 2 and when it is closed, the lever 7 is disposed in par allelisin with respect to the train pipe as in dicated in Figure 1.

For the purpose of opening the valve to automatically discharge the air from the train pipe in the event of an accident, I provide the connection between it and the truck T. Although the connection could be of some other construction, it preferably comprises a relatively short chain 12, which. is connected to the free end of the lever and is connected at its opposite end of a vertically movable pin 13 slidable in openings in a guide frame 1% of the attaching bracket which is connected with the truss of the truck. If desired, the pin 14 may be provided between its ends with a small weight 15 to move the pin downwardly and to place sufficient tension upon the chain 12 to render it comparatively taut. It will thus be seen that I have provided a connection which is flexible and slidable. Normally, the pin 13 will slide sufficiently to permit a limited relative movement between the truck and the bodyzoit the car. .In the event that the car should become derailed or should one of the axles break, the abnormal movement of the trucl: away from the body Of the car will be su'tlicient to exert a pull upon the chain 12 and to in turn pull downwardly on the lever 7. In so doing, the cap 6 of the valve will be rotated with respect to the collar and as soon as the fingers 8 become positioned in the spaces existing between the lugs 5, the air pressure in the train pipe will literally blow the cap 6 oil. Thus, the brakes will be applied immediately and the degree of the damage will be comparatively small. It is of course understood that when the cap 6 is rotated in a direction from right to left,

the cam action brought about by the lingers and lugs will connect the parts of the valve together.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is '1.- I In a safety device of the class described, a. valve composed-of relatively rotatable and 'disconne'ctible-pafts, one of. sai'dhparts being providedwith a lever, a ehaintconnected to said. lever, apin connected to said chain,

is slidably connected.

2. In a device of the class described, a

safety valve comprising a relatively stationary part, said part being provided with circuinferentially spaced cam-lugs, a relatively rotatable part having fluid tight connection with said first nained part, said rotable part being provided notched fingers cooper-able With saidlugs.

3. In a safety device ofthe class described, a valve comprising a relatively stationary collariprovided with a plurality of circum ferentially spaced cam-lugs, a relatively rotatable cap having fluid tight connection with said collar, said cap being equipped with circuinferentially spaced lingers having inclined notches cooperable with said.

lugs, said cap being also provided with the lever, andv a spring interposed between the flange of said collar and said cap, said spring being connected at its-opposite end with said flange and cap.

7 In testimony whereof I aflix any-signature.

I THOMAS LEAHY. 

